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POLITICO 44

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has abruptly canceled his plans to attend President Barack Obama’s nuclear security summit next week, creating an embarrassing distraction on the eve of a high-profile meeting the White House has sought to carefully choreograph.

An Israeli official confirmed Netanyahu’s decision not to attend, which was revealed by Israeli media outlets Thursday afternoon Washington time.

''In the last 24 hours, the Israeli government has learned of various reports from various sources on the intention of several states attending the conference not only to deal with the issue at hand but to take the opportunity to make a point of grandstanding against Israel and the issue of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty," the Israeli official said. "The prime minister was dismayed at this and decided to stick to the Israeli policy that Israel is usually represented at these types of conferences at the professional-ministerial level.”

Another official, Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor, will head the Israeli delegation attending the summit on securing nuclear materials.

The White House said it welcomes Meridor’s participation. “Israel is a close ally, and we look forward to continuing to work closely on issues related to nuclear security,” National Security Council spokesman Michael Hammer said. “This is a summit focused on addressing the security of nuclear materials and geared toward having the participants take practical measures to ensure that terrorists cannot get access to those materials.”

However, some analysts were skeptical about the official Israeli explanation, since the potential for Israel to face questions about its nuclear program has been widely known and openly discussed since Obama announced plans for the summit early last year.

Netanyahu’s about-face came as The New York Times and The Washington Post published accounts suggesting that Obama was considering presenting his own detailed peace proposal to Israel and the Palestinians if the so-called proximity talks the U.S. is trying to conduct fail.

“Having just had this brouhaha with Obama, and having failed to resolve it, Bibi may well be on the hook for an answer” to U.S. demands on the peace process, veteran U.S. Middle East peace negotiator Aaron David Miller said. “He decided basically I think to pass. ... He didn’t want another lecture from the secretary of state.”

The crowd of Republican activists at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans Thursday night applauded loudly when told, by Liz Cheney, of Netanayhu's decision.

"President Obama is playing a reckless game if he continues down the path of diminishing America's ties to Israel," she said.

It's not quite accurate to call Meridor a lower-level official, he is the deputy prime minister of Israel. (In addition, he does hold the portfolio of Intelligence and Atomic Energy Minister.) Sending the #2 official in the prime minister's party, who happens to specialize in nuclear weapons, in not quite the snub this article makes it out to be.

It's not quite accurate to call Meridor a lower-level official, he is the deputy prime minister of Israel. (In addition, he does hold the portfolio of Intelligence and Atomic Energy Minister.) Sending the #2 official in the prime minister's party, who happens to specialize in nuclear weapons, in not quite the snub this article makes it out to be.

It's not quite accurate to call Meridor a lower-level official, he is the deputy prime minister of Israel. (In addition, he does hold the portfolio of Intelligence and Atomic Energy Minister.) Sending the #2 official in the prime minister's party, who happens to specialize in nuclear weapons, in not quite the snub this article makes it out to be.

Good for him. It's about time America learned that it cannot go telling other nations how to run THEIR business. Obama seems to think that by promising these countries the moon in financial help that that should automatically give us the RIGHT to tell them what to do ? America is BROKE. How stupid we must look to these other countries. It's about time we started putting America FIRST and let these other countries rule their OWN destiny. Just another reality check for the Obama Administration.

I'm personally sick of paying for Israel.. this is great news... this summit is a week long photo op, even the russian treaty is honestly a joke... but Isreal positioning themselves as the country with hidden nukes (that the world knows about) that is against nuke treaty and reduction is GREAT.... hopefully it will make it easier for us to deinvest in Israel, the more they..... act like this, the stronger the US hand gets.. with the last "flare up" between the US and Israel, Obama finally surpassed Netanyahu in popularity polls within Israel. This is great.

Cut Israel off!! It is time to let them stand up for themselves and deal with the consequences. I personally am sick and tired of this country sticking their finger in the eye of the United States. It's not just this President but Israel has ben playing every POTUS since the beginning of Israel's inception. Enough is enough!